How the Lipstick Lobby is fighting the good fight with the ACLU one lipstick at a time

If there is one brand that you should be aware of, it's The Lipstick Lobby. The social justice beauty brand donates a big portion of all proceeds to major charitable organizations such as Planned Parenthood and now, in their second campaign, the American Civil Liberties Union.

In a newly-released matte red shade named, OUTRAGE, The Lipstick Lobby is joining the resistance efforts with the ACLU, donating $5 of every tube to the civil rights organization. Its bold red color is not only a fall-favorite but according to the brand, "is a color that can embolden and empower" in these "uncertain and disheartening days."

AOL got a chance to talk to Davida Hall, founder of The Lipstick Lobby and talked more about some of the issues they are passionate about, how they came to be and how celebrities are joining the cause.

AOL: First, tell me why you decided to create The Lipstick Lobby and how the idea came to be.

Davida Hall: We were hearing from within our industry, our community, our creators, that people wanted to speak out and do something to show their solidarity and their activism given today’s climate. Nobody knew what to do but shared the sentiment that we had to get involved, roll up our sleeves and make our voices heard. So we decided to create bold statement lipsticks to represent our collective voices coming together -- and give proceeds back to [organizations] that could really make an impact!

AOL: As a social justice brand, you work with groups that focus on tackling tough issues that affect millions of Americans each day. What goes into the decision on picking a group such as Planned Parenthood and now, the ACLU?

Hall: We selected Planned Parenthood originally because of the organization’s mission to protect women’s right to choice. Planned Parenthood provides vital reproductive health care, sex education, and information to millions of women, men, and young people worldwide, and their funding is being threatened by the current administration, so it was an easy choice for us to want to support them.

We then chose the ACLU because for nearly 100 years, the organization has been our nation’s guardian of liberty, working in courts, legislatures, and communities to defend and preserve the individual rights and liberties that the Constitution and the laws of the United States guarantee everyone in this country. These rights, we believe, are being challenged under the current political administration, so we chose to support the ACLU to help them in fighting some of the greatest fights our nation has ever [seen].

AOL: You've had such a positive response from women -- especially celebrities -- what are some of the most memorable moments?

Hall: The Lipstick Lobby has received overwhelming support since its inception. So many talented individuals contributed their time and skills to the campaign, from the social media stars and models who are helping spread the word to the behind-the-scenes crew of photographers, designers, producers, graphic designers and makeup artists. When we found that Opening Ceremony (my all-time favorite store) agreed to carry our line, we almost lost it. Felt like we were instantly the cool kids at school and it just gave us a new level of visibility and street cred.

One of our proudest moments, was when my all-time idol Gloria Steinem’s posted about our campaign on her Instagram.

AOL: What are other causes The Lipstick Lobby is looking forward to working on?

Hall: Our plan is to introduce our next shade this spring with a new nonprofit partner. Both the shade and the partner will be just as bold and daring as the first two! As you can imagine, its hard to pick just one issue to sync our teeth into as the catastrophes are happening fast and furious these days. We want to invest our time and resources into organizations that can truly affect change – and that target large-scale human rights issues. A little hint? Let’s just say Orange is the New Black.

This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity. You can join the movement by posting a selfie wearing your favorite TLL shade with the hashtag #LipstickItToTheMan.